November Interlude

Perhaps aging is the November interlude of life. At this point in the year the Halloween excitement has passed. Although the holiday decorations are going up earlier and earlier, the Christmas spirit is not in the air. The leaves are still falling, but the thrill of autumn's brilliance has diminished. The weather is cool; the days are solid; the snow has not yet begun to build up its residue along the roads. We who have reached the end-of-career stage have moved beyond the costumes and the resplendent glories of life. The trick or treat bag is put away; we have built whatever nest egg we could. We have walked off the stage of life and put away the dress up. November is a time of honesty. We see the bare branches as the leaves fall away. The cool air demands the jacket; the wind makes the blood flow. The gardens fade, and the earth returns to a state of hibernation. The days are shorter; our time is shorter. We no longer have the leisure of summer. We are ready to hunker down. The message of November is not that life is through but a return to the basics, the essentials of what matters. The ornament is removed. November demands that we turn within and nurture our own fire, one with glowing coals, no longer one of shooting flames.